Shuffler for playing cards



Aug. 25, 1953 l., E. ALMGREN 2,650,096

` SHUFFLER FOR PLAYING CARDS Filed Dec. 9, 194e 2 sheets-sheet 1 Aff? n Aug, 25, 1953 E. ALMGREN 2,650,096

SHUFFLER FOR PLAYING CARDS Filed DBC. 9, 1949 2 SlleelZS-Slleeil 2 ZNVENTOR:

, accomplish the shuling operations.

Patented Aug. 25, 1953 UNITI-:Dl STATES .PATENT oFFlcE 2,650,096 l sHUFFLER Fon PLAYmG CARDS Louis E. Almgren, Oak Park, Ill.

Application December 9, 1949, Serial No. 132,048

1 Claim.

This invention relates in general to card shufflers, and it has particular reference to card shufers of a type adapted to shuffle two conventional decks of cards employed in card games such as, for example, canasta and the like.

Shuilling of two decks of cards has presented a definite problem in that the person attempting to adequately shufile such a large number of cards finds it inconvenient to hold the same during the shuliiing operation, thereby causing the cards to be dropped or mixed or overturned which causes inconvenience and loss of time in reorganizing the deck for another shuming operation. I

Heretofore, in card shuilers of this general class, elaborate mechanisms were employed to These elaborate mechanisms required constant attention and repair, and also substantially increased the cost of manufacture.

It is recognized that in the prior art, numerous attempts have been made to provide a card shufler of this general glass, and efforts have been made to overcome the various deficiencies found in such prior art structures, but to the best of the applicants knowledge, the prior art structures have had only limited success and have been accorded only limited commercial recognition. It is believed that this fact results from apparent deficiencies of the prior art structures, their nonadaptability for universal application, and their expensive construction which so .greatly increased the cost as to seriously handicap general sales acceptance.

The present improvements in card shullers are directed to simplify their construction and their mode of operation, and also to provide a card shufer which may readily and conveniently be employed universally to various games requiring the shuffling of more than one conventional deck of playing cards. Moreover, the present device may be advantageously employed to shule either one deck or two decks of playing cards without any adjustments or changes in construction, thereby to increase the versatility of the instant card shumer. Furthermore, the present device seeks to employ conventionalparts wherever necessary and possible, thereby to effect a further substantial reduction in the costover theV prevailing types of card shufllers presently being employed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the desired result may be obtained by utilizing the card-receiving container as illustrated in the drawings and providing the same with a y stepped arrangement at the lower portions thereof adapted to cause a number of the playing cards to assume a lower position and the relmaining cards to receive an upper position so that each group may be separately withdrawn from the container and stacked, which operation will effect the shuffling operation.

' Accordingly, an object and accomplishment of ythe invention is to provide a card shufiier formed of a metal or plastic composition and adapted to receive, for shuffling operations, either one deck of conventional playing cards or two decks of conventional playing cards without modification or alteration, the invention being particularly characterized by the employment of a stepped :arrangement adapted to divide the playing cards into two groups which may be separately removed lfrom the shuiiler and stacked to accomplish the vshuffling operation.

Another object and accomplishment of the invention is to provide an improved card shuiller kby co-relating and especially designing the various elements thereof, whereby there shall be such 'cooperation between the improved elements as will best serve the purpose of providing an emcient card shuiler capable of being manufactured at low cost and yet giving maximum of Isatisfactory service in use.

The invention seeks, as a further object and accomplishment, to provide a card shuflier as contemplated herein and characterized by an arrangement of parts to more advantageously and ysatisfactorily perform the functions required of it and adapted to provide a compact unit which will successfully combine the factors of structural simplicity and durability, and yet be economical to manufacture.

Additional objects, features and advantages of ythe invention disclosed herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after the construction uand operation are understood from the within description.

It is preferred to accomplish the various objects tof this invention and to practice the same in substantially the manner as hereinafter more fully described, and as more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

With the above and other incidental objects in view, the invention has other marked improvements and superiorities which radically distinguish it from presently known structures, these improvements in the invention residing in the novel construction and cooperative function of the parts thereof, the combination of the parts land the arrangement thereof as illustrated in 3 the drawings, and which will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing on which there is shown preferred embodiments of the invenion,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a card shuiiier embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an endl elevational view of the card shuler depicted in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the card shulerV depicted in Fig. 1 and illustrating the relative disposition of the playing cards in one stage of the shuffling operation;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the card shuiiier depicted in Fig. 1 with the playing cards removed therefrom and illustrating the internal construction of the card shuffler;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the card shufer depicted in Fig. l and illustrating the construction of the base; and

Fig. 6 is a top view of a modified form of card shuflier, the body of the card shuiller being as depicted in Fig. l, but the internal construction being modified, as shown.

The drawings are toY be understood to be more or less of a schematic character for the purpose of illustrating and disclosing a typical or preferred form of the improvements contemplated herein, and in the drawings, like reference characters identify the same parts in the several views.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention depicted in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the card shuiiier with which the present invention is particularly concerned comprises, in general, a base 25 and a card-receiving container indicated in its entirety by the numeral 2l, said card-receiving container being carried by said base 20 and having an open top 22 adapted to receive the playing cards, as shown, said card-receiving container having a bottom 23 provided with a plurality of spaced, upwardly projecting members as at 2d, said bottom 23 and the upwardly projecting members 24 being arranged for engagement with the lower portions of the cards to effect separation of the cards into groups, said groups defining a lower group A resting on the bottom 23 and an upper group B resting on the platform defined by the upwardly extending members as at 24, and said groups being respectively, alternatively arranged for separate removal from the shuffler, whereupon they may be stacked to accomplish the shuiiiing operation.

As shown in the drawings, the entire device may be molded so that all the parts are integral. This may be advantageously accomplished by molding the device by any suitable approved practice of a plastic composition which may be attractively colored so as to appeal to the aesthetic senses of the observer. Although it is preferable to form the device of a plastic composition, the invention contemplates the assembly of the various elements of other materials such as, for example, wood or steel which would require that separate parts be made, and these parts may be suitably secured together to define the structure as illustrated.

In order to provide an artistic touch to the device, there is provided column-like formations 3G and 3| on the sides of the card-receiving container 2l. These columns are formed so as to provide an easy draft when the device is molded.

Accordingly, the device can' be easily removed from the mold without necessitating a split mold or llers.

Attention is invited to Fig. 4 which is a top view of the device with the cards removed therefrom and wherein it can be seen that the spaced upwardly projecting members 20. extend horizontally only a part of the distance lengthwise of the container, thereby providing a central open space 35. It has been'found that it is desirable to provide this central open space 35 so that the cards will freely seek their respective levels and to accommodate cards which have been slightly bent and to provide a minimum amount of resistance so that group A of the cards will not become too tightly wedged in order that they may be easily removed from the card-receiving container.- Itl is desirable to merely drop the cards in the container whereupon they will assume their respective positions as shown. The cards should not be forced into position because this action will provide wedging of the cards between the spacedV upwardly projecting members 24, thereby hindering removal of the wedged cards from the device.

In Fig. 5 there is illustrated the bottom of the base which may be hollowed out to provide the space indicated by the numeral 3l in order to save as much material as possible in the manufacture of the device. In order to provide a leveling means, the base may be formed with semicircular projections as at 38, 59, 40 and lil, respectively, being disposed at the four corners of the device.

Attention is now directed to the modification illustrated in Fig. 6 which provides the same operativefeatures as the card shufiler disclosed in Fig. 1 with the exception that the spaced upwardly projecting members extend full length across the device' as illustrated by the numeral d5. In some adaptations, it has been found advisable to extend the spaced upwardly projecting members 45 completely across the device. This construction facilitates the application of the device to almost any size of card, whereas the device as illustrated in Fig. 4 would be restricted to receive only thev size of card which could extend across the open space 35 so that the edges could be received, respectively, into the spaced upwardly projecting members 2li disposed at each side of the open space 35.

The operation of the device is as follows: In a card game such as, for example, canasta and the like, at least two decks of cards are employed. This situation presents a problem in the convenient shuflling of the cards. With the present device, both decks are dropped into the open top 22 of the instant card shuffler, whereupon a number of the cards will fall into the grooves defined by the spaced upwardly projecting means 2d and, therefore, comprise a lower group of cards illustrated at A. The second group of cards indicated as at B will have their lower edges engage the top surfaces of the spaced upwardly projecting members 24, which will cause the upper edges to project substantially above the top edge of the A group of cards.

With the cards in the position as hereinbefore illustrated and described, the operator will employ both hands, the thumb and first finger of one hand encircling the A group of cards, while the thumb and nrst finger of the second hand encircles the B group of cards, whereupon the B group of cards are lifted from the container1 and the A group of cards are then lifted from the container, and both` groups are then stacked to accomplish the flrst shuffling action. This procedure may be repeated until the operator is satised that the pack of cards is completely shuffled.

From the foregoing disclosure, it may be observed that I have provided an improved card shufrler which eciently fulfills the objects thereof as hereinbefore set forth and which provides numerous advantages which may be summarized as follows:

1. Structurally simple, efficient and durable;

2. Economical to manufacture and readily adaptable to mass production manufacture principles; and

3. The provision of a card shufiier formed of a metal or plastic composition and adapted to receive, for shuffling operations, either one deck of conventional playing cards or two decks of conventional playing cards without modification or alteration, lthe invention being particularly characterized 'by the employment of means adapted to divide the playing cards into two groups which may be separately removed from the shuler and stacked to accomplish the shuffling operation.

While I have illustrated preferred embodiments of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but wish -to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A playing card shuier comprising a molded 6 one-piece rectangular shaped container having side walls, a bottom wall and an open top adapted to receive a pack of playing cards, two series of similar opposed partition walls extending respectively from opposite narrow walls of the container toward each other but terminating short of the center of the container, and each partition wall of each series consisting of a platetype member having smooth surfaces and sharply defined edges, the lower marginal edges of some cards of said pack being supported on said bottom wall while lthe lower marginal edges of the remaining cards of said pack are supported by said partition walls to dispose upper regions of said cards in different planes to effect separation of said cards into groups, said groups defining a lower group and an upper group, respectively, alternatively arranged, and each group being arranged for separate manual removal from the container.

LOUIS E. ALMGREN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 205,030 Ash June 18, 1878 877,992 Gaunt Feb. 4, 1908 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,771 Great Britain 1907 8,756 Great Britain 1908 

